David, an 8-year-old boy, drowned in a bathtub; his mother and his stepfather are condemned for "torture or act of barbarism having resulted in the death without intention to give it".
This trial was "very difficult", in the words ofAnaïs Denet, journalist from Télénantes who followed him closely. The death of little David adds to the long list of children who have died of abuse, absurd and atrocious punishment by adults who are supposed to protect them. His mother and stepfather were sentenced Friday, November 20, 2020 to 28 years in prison. A verdict of a severity they did not expect. And which was little publicized, because of another trial, for feminicide, this one: that of the Daval affair. Auféminin looks back on the events of that evening of January 11, 2017, and the warning signs that can prevent infanticide.
David, killed 5 months after arriving at his mother's house
It is in Nantes thatAnaïs Denet followed the proceedings live. It tells of a heavy trial, loaded with emotions, with on the one hand the mother and the stepfather, and on the other, the rest of the little boy's family. Because you should know that David grew up in Ivory Coast, with his grandparents. His mother had him very young and then went to France to finish her studies. In 2016, she decided to bring in David to raise her. But the 8-year-old boy cannot get used to his new life in Saint-Herblain: he does not call his mother "Mum", wants to leave, regularly packs his suitcase with his passport in it. What infuriates his mother, who considers the little boy to be a burden. The adults around him describe him as "hug, asking for affection". It seems that very violent punishments were inflicted on him long before the disastrous evening of January 2017, including the "bathtub punishment".
Only 5 months will have passed between the arrival in France of the little boy and his death. This Wednesday, January 11, David asks for food from a stranger when he leaves school, which leads the teacher to call his mother. Her stepfather and this one decide to punish the little boy by plunging him bound hand and foot in a tub of cold water, keeping his head under water. "First day of the trial. What strikes me the most is how #David is dead, written on Twitter Anaïs Denet. He had his fists and feet tied by a rope, was immersed in a tub of cold water. Someone was holding her head underwater. But who ? Parents are blaming themselves " . A neighbor says he heard "Sorry mom" and a body in water.
A verdict, but not the truth
During the trial, the mother tried to explain her behavior by the violence she suffered as a child: "David had to become my son, and I told myself that by doing like my father, by hitting him, it was going to work". But after five days of trial, light will not have been shed on the exact circumstances of the death of the little boy, nor on the exact role played by the mother and the stepfather. "One may have acted more or less for a longer or shorter time, but they are equally guilty of each other", had to resign the general counsel, Véronique Surel, cited by 20 Minutes.
The defendants were both sentenced to 28 years in prison on Friday. The court also ordered the withdrawal of parental authority over their two and five other respective children, including a baby boy born of their union. The association Innocence in Danger, civil party in this story, reacted through its lawyer, Me Myriam Guedj Benayoun, taken over by the Express: "We cannot do what we want with our children, no they are not objects of torture, no we do not hide our children behind walls, they have to know that, abusive parents". During the trial, the little boy's paternal aunt was also a civil party, and regrets not having been able to do anything: "If I had gone to see him, maybe he would have given me a sign", she laments.
What to do if you suspect child abuse?
This is the nagging question at the end of the trial: how can we ignore such situations of abuse? What signs can alert? It is all the more important to be able to pay attention to the signals that periods of confinement imprison these abused children. In a document for the attention of medical personnel, the Haute Autorité de Santé provides advice that can help identify violence. Apart from the physical signs that challenge, it is also necessary to be interested in behavior changes. While also being attentive to the behavior of those around the child. Vigilance must be particular when the latter changes his attitude, becoming "fearful, withdrawn, avoiding the gaze", "a child with sleep disorders, nightmares, eating disorders, an aggressive child or, on the contrary, in search of contact, affection without discernment , a child whose behavior and / or emotional state is unpredictable. "
Reporting can save the child. An approach to be carried out with 119 or the social services of the department.